Car-stopper.



J. PIVARGHY.

OAR STOPPER.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB.11, 1914. 1,122,158., Patented Dec.22,1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

J. PIVARGHY.

OAR STOPPER. APPLICATION FILED FEB, 11. 1914.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914 m Vv urea.

JOHN PIVARGHY, 0F UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-STOPPER.

mamas.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented net. as, rare.

Application filed February 11, 1914. Serial No. 818,100.

Uniontown, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Stoppers, of which the following is a specification.

The primary purpose of this invention is the provision of means to prevent a car or a train of cars from running backward in the event of the hauling rope or cable breaking.

In some mining districts the cars are operated upon an inclined track by means of a rope or cable and in the event of such rope or cable breaking the cars move downward upon the inclined track and frequently injure the workman besides damaging property.

The present invention provides novel means for arresting the backward movement of a car or a train of cars should the hoisting rope or cable part or become suddenly slack, such means being normally held out of engagement with the track by means 3 of a hoisting rope or cable when the same is under tension but which means instantly come into play when released from the restraining influence of the rope or cable when the same breaks or suddenly becomes slack.

The invention provides a safety appliance of the nature hereinbefore stated which is independent of the car or cars so as to be used in connection with any car or train of cars, such appliance being of a nature to rend quickly and act positively to check the backward movement of a car or train of cars when the same is suddenly released from the lifting or pulling force.

The invention consists of atruck, a grapple mounted upon such truck and arranged to engage the track and normally held out of engagement with the track by the re straining influence of the hoisting rope breaking or becoming slack so as to prevent the car or cars from running downward upon the inclined track.

The invention also consists of a detent mounted upon the truck and adapted to be moved so as to engage the grapple and hold the sameout of actlon whether the hoisting rope is under tension or not, thereby admitting of the safety appliance being moved upon the track in each direction without hindrance. a

The invention further consists of a peculiar arrangement of the parts whereby the truck carrying the grapple and adjunctive parts 1s prevented from leaving the track when the weight of the car or train of cars comes suddenly thereon by the hoisting rope breaking or becoming slack.

The inventlon also further consists of the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularly setforth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 1s a side view of an inclined track, a car and a safety appliance associated therewith embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the safety appliance on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal secti on on the line w-m of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a view on the line yy of Fig. 2, the full llnes. showing the position of the grapple when held clear of the track by the tension of the hoisting rope and the dotted lines showing the grapple in engagement with the track when the hoisting rope breaks or becomes suddenly slack. Fig. 5 is a trans verse section on the line z2 of Fig. 2, the full lines showing the position of the detents when clear of the grapple, and the dotted lines showing one of such detents when in engagement with the grapple to hold the same clear of the track. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

. The numeral 1 designates an inclined track leading from a mine upon which the cars travel to and from the mine.

The numeral 2 designates a mine car or a train of such cars and 3 is a hoisting rope T5 or cable by means of which the cars are from the mine, said brackets serving as guide means to prevent lateral movement of the clevis. A guide pulley 8 is located at the front of the truck frame 4 and holds the hoisting rope or cable 3 in proper position.

The grapple comprises similar members 9, each consisting of a bar and a hook 10. The

hooks 10 point downward and are adapted to engage the ties of the track whereas the bars are offset intermediate of their ends to throw the end portions of the bars in different planes. The hooks 10 are spaced apart nearly the full width of the truck so as to engage opposite end portions of the ties. The rear ends of the bars are brought together and terminate in extensions '11 which form stops to engage the rear cross pieceof the truck frame 41 to limit the tilting of the grapple when the hooks 10 are held clear of the track. A pulley 12 is mounted upon a pin connecting the rear ends of the bars forming the grapple, such pulley receiving the hoisting rope or cable 3 when the same is under tension whereby the grapple is held with its rear end depressed and its front end elevated. A transverse v rod 13 supported at its ends in the side bars of the frame 1 receives the members of the grapple which are pivotally mounted thereon. Stay-bars 1d are secured at their front ends to the forward portions of the members 9 and their rear ends receive the rod 13 which passes therethrough. The bars 1 1 serve to strengthen the grapple and enable the same to withstand the. strain when the grapple comes into play. Spacing sleeves 15 are mounted upon the end portions of the rod 13 and come between the side bars of the frame 4 and the stay-bars 14 and prevent lateral movement of the grapple. Weighted bars 16 are offset between their ends and have the rear ends brought together between the rear ends of themembers 9 to which they are secured, such bars having the rod 13 passing therethrough. The weights 17 at the front end of the bar 16 are sufficiently heavy to hold the hooks 10 of the grapple in engagement with the track when the grapple comes into play to prevent the car from running backward upon the track in the event of'the hoisting rope or cable breaking or becoming slack. A olevis 18 is attached to the front end of each of the bars 16 and a connection 19 joins each olevis 18 with the olevis 7. The connections 19 are preferably fiexible and may consist of a short length of rope, cable or chain. The rear ends of the connections 19 pass through an opening formed in the rear bar of the frame 4. The clevises 18 are located wholly below the barsv9, 14 and 16 thereby bringing the strain as near the track as possible to prevent the truck of the safety appliance from leaving the track when the device is in active operation.

- A detent is located upon each side of the ,ing two detents provision ishad for engaging the grapple from either side of the track. These detents are of similar conof a bar 20 which is pivoted at its lower end to the rear barof the frame 4, the upper end of such bar being provided with a weight 21 from the side of which a pin 22 projects to form a handle to be conveniently grasped when it is required to operate the detent. A notch 23 is formed in an edge of the bar 20 and is adapted to receive an extension 11 to hold the rear end of the grapple depressed and its front end. elevated.

In the operation of the invention the hoisting rope or cable 3 is coupled to the car or train of cars 2 in any manner. The safety appliance is located upon the track in advance of the car or train of cars and the hoisting rope or cable passes over the pulleys 8 and 12, the tension on such hoisting rope or cable being sufficient to hold the rear end of the grapple depressed and the front end elevated and clear of the track. The olevis 7 is coupled to the car 2. Under normal conditions the grapple is held clear of the track by the tension on the hoisting rope or cable but in the event of such hoisting rope or cable breaking or becoming slack the car starts backward and pulls upon the connections 19 thereby drawing the front end of the grapple downward into engagement with the track or a tie thereof with the result that the backward movement of the car or train of cars is arrested and the same held until proper repairs can be made. When the grapple is to be held clear of the track irrespective of the action of the hoisting rope or cable to admit of the safety appliance being moved freely upon the track up or down either one of the detents is moved into engagement with the grapple in the manner stated.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the invention as claimed.

.Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. A car stopper comprising a truck, a hoisting cable, a weighted grapple pivotally supported within the body of the truck and adapted for engagement with the cross ties of a track and normally held clear of the said track by the hoisting cable when under tension, and means carried by the grapple near the pivoted end thereof for guiding the hoisting cable thereover whereby the latter will actupon the grapple to sustain it elevated.

2. A carstopper comprising a truck, a hoisting cable, a Weighted grapple pivotally supported within the body of the truck and adapted for engagement with the cross ties of a track and normally held clear of the said track by the hoisting cable when under tension, means carried by the grapple near the pivoted end thereof for guiding the hoisting cable thereover, whereby the latter will act upon'the grapple to sustain it elerated, and means pivoted in the said truck and engageable With the grapple to lock the same clear of the track.

3. In a safety appliance, the combinatlon of a truck, a hoisting cable therefor, a grapple pivotally mounted upon the truck and having hook members at its free end and extensions at its opposite end, a pulley carried by the extensions and adapted to be engaged by the hoisting cable when under tension to hold the hook ends clear of a track, and Weights carried by the grapple to cause the hook ends to gravitate in a direction for engagement with the cross ties v of such track on the slacking of the said.

hoisting cable.

4. In a-safety apphance of the character set forth, the combination of' a truck, a

hoisting cable therefor, a transverse rod, a

set forth, the combination of a truck, a

hoistingcable therefor, a transverse rod, a grapple mounted upon said rod and having hooks, said rod bracing the hooks of the grapple, weights located next to the hooks to cause the same to automatically lower into a position for engaging the cross ties of a track, means on the grapple for guiding the hoisting cable thereover to receive tension therefrom for sustaining said grapple normally elevated, and means carried on the truck for guiding the hoisting cable in the path ofthe means on the grapple.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

JOHN v PIVARGHY.

\Vitnesses J OSEPI-I L. HAKY, BAY BUTTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. I). O. 

